2012 Audi A3 Tdi Hatchback 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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VW won't let emissions scandal keep it from racing

The Volkswagen Group may have its hands full dealing with the diesel emissions scandal. But that doesn't mean it will be curbing its considerable racing programs. At least not in any significant way. This according to Matthias Muller, who recently moved up from his previous position as Porsche CEO to preside over the entire group. Speaking with Autosport at the World Endurance Championship finale in Bahrain this past weekend, Muller emphasized the importance of racing to the company. "The motorsports programs are not in danger of being dropped or significantly reduced because motorsports is very important for the group and the brands," said Muller. "Basically we do not question our motorsport efforts." Of all the brands under the group's umbrella, several have prominent, top-level factory works racing programs, and others support customer racing teams. The Volkswagen brand has emerged as the dominant force in the World Rally Championship, securing both titles over the past three years. Both Porsche and Audi compete in the top tier at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship, trading places in the winner's circle. Audi also competes in DTM, and alongside Lamborghini, Bentley, and Porsche, and also offers GT3 and GTE racing cars to private customers. Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, and Seat (once the leader in touring cars) all run their own spec racing series as well. Skoda continues to compete in lower-level rallying, leaving only Bugatti to draw on its prominent pre-war grand prix racing history. To hear Muller tell it, those racing programs – or at least the top-levels ones among them – aren't going away anytime soon. But there may still be some tweaks here and there, and we shouldn't expect any new programs to be launched in the near future. Porsche, for example, is anticipated to wind down its factory involvement in GT racing, after winning both the drivers' and manufacturers' titles in the WEC GTE Pro class this year in addition to its LMP1 victories. Instead it will focus on preparing new racing versions of the 911 for client racing teams. The auto giant was also reportedly close to branching out into Formula One in partnership with Red Bull. But after negotiations were interrupted by emergence of the diesel emissions scandal, that deal fell apart. It remains unknown which brand might have been represented in the F1 engine-supply program.

Audi RS5 test drive ends with potential buyer stealing car

Two men are wanted in the Houston area tonight after they stole an Audi RS5 from a local dealership. The brazen theft happened in the middle of the business day, when a salesperson stepped away after letting one of the men take the car for a test drive, while the other sat in the (getaway) car. He then swiped the keys and his license before running out to the lot and taking off in the 450-horsepower coupe.
The men drove to the dealership in an plate-less, white Range Rover Sport, and fed the salesperson a fake phone number - it ironically led to a collections firm - along with what is probably a fake name and a fake background, although the dealership does have both men on video. The dealer, Audi West Houston, is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to the Audi and the crooks that stole it. Scroll down for the full news report from Houston's CBS-affiliate KHOU 11.

Audi TT spy shots reveal revised lighting elements

As we inch closer to an expected Geneva debut for the next-generation Audi TT, our latest round of spy photos are starting to give us an even better look at Audi's latest sports car. This time out, we're getting more details on the car's head and taillights.
It's safe to say that the new headlight design will not incorporate the twin rally lights we see mounted on the next TT's grille, but our spy photos do show off the wide, angular new lights in even greater detail than previous photos. The rear lights, meanwhile, look like they'll retain a similar shape to what's seen on the current car, while new LED details lend a degree of freshness to the look.
As we mentioned, we're predicting Audi will debut the next TT at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show in March. We expect, though, to have more on the car before that time. Stay tuned.